Brewer Carlsberg does not expect any dramatic changes to rules for liquor ads in India, the brewer's CEO said, after reports the country is set to announce sweeping rules that will bar even so-called surrogate ads.
India bans direct advertising of liquor, but companies often use surrogate ads that promote their brands more generally.
India's top civil servant for consumer affairs told Reuters this month that new rules were expected to be issued within a month that could bring fines for companies and bans for celebrities involved in misleading ads.
"It is not our impression that anything is given about a potential advertising ban," Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen told Reuters in an interview.
Read More: India Plans Tougher Ad Curbs On Liquor Makers Such As Carlsberg, Diageo, Pernod
Carlsberg promotes its Tuborg drinking water in India, with an ad showing film stars at a rooftop dance party and the slogan 'Tilt Your World', which echoes its Tuborg beer ads elsewhere, emblazoned with the message: 'Drink Responsibly'.
Surrogate Ads
Aarup-Andersen said anti-alcohol lobby groups in India had recently taken aim at surrogate ads, but that the industry had also been heard in the ongoing consultation process.
"Now we have to see where it ends. We do not expect dramatic changes to regulation, and if there are changes, we will handle it," he said.
The Danish brewer lifted its forecast for full-year operating profit growth despite posting weaker-than-expected sales for the second quarter, hit by bad June weather.
The company said it now expects full-year organic operating profit growth of between 4% and 6%, up from the previously guided range of 1% to 5%.
